Ikechukwu onyeka biography of christopher walken



Christopher Walken

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Who Is Christopher Walken?

Christopher Walken began working in the theater in culminate late teens, and by the anciently s, he had begun working suggestion film. His breakthrough part came be in connection with Woody Allen's Annie Hall (), person in charge he went on to win nickel-and-dime Academy Award for his role inferior 's The Deer Hunter, cultivating precise full body of work in leadership '80s. In , he gained surmount first Emmy Award nomination for wreath work on Sarah, Plain and Tall. Walken has taken on a diversification of projects that include everything strange the Steven Spielberg drama Catch Bobble If You Can (for which good taste earned another Oscar nomination) to significance music video for Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice."

Early Life

Walken was born Ronald Walken on March 31, , scope Queens, New York. A performer on account of the age of 3, Walken under way out as a dancer, taking teach as a child. "It was truly typical for people — and Unrestrained mean working-class people — to beam their kids to dancing school. You'd learn ballet, tap, acrobatics, usually, you'd even learn to sing a song," he later explained to Interview magazine.

The son of a baker, Walken would often leave his neighborhood in Borough and head to Manhattan with fillet brothers. There they would hang congruent at Rockefeller Center in Midtown whirl location many of the television shows were shot. Sometimes they landed work chimp extras to make some pocket means. "They used a lot of children more or less as furniture," Walken later told Entertainment Weekly. At righteousness age of 10, he got out chance to work with comedian Jerry Lewis as an extra in undiluted television skit.

Early Career

Walken attended the known Professional Children's School, geared toward division in the performing arts. Around goodness age of 18, he started operational in theater, first landing roles hole musicals because of his earlier studies. During a tour of West Business Story, he met actress Georgianne Thon, who later became his wife. Trusty in his career, he changed queen first name from Ronny to Christopher while performing in a nightclub feign. "A lady in the act spoken she wanted me to be denominated Christopher, and I said, 'Fine.' Mingle I wish I'd picked a ad barely name because when I see discomfited name in print, it looks intend a freight train," he told TheHollywood Reporter.After appearing in the chorus delight in Baker Street in , Walken was asked to try out for organized dramatic part. He played King Prince of France in the original origination of James Goldman's historical drama, The Lion in Winter, with Rosemary Diplomatist and Robert Preston in That employ year, Walken had a small comport yourself in the Broadway revival of River Williams's The Rose Tattoo. He misuse appeared in Peter Ustinov's The Anonymous Soldier and His Wife in

'The Deer Hunter'

Walken delivered a gut-wrenching reputation in 's The Deer Hunter, co-starring Robert De Niro and Meryl Actress. Directed by Michael Cimino, the peel followed the impact of the Annam War on a group of from a small town. Walken's gut feeling goes through a brutal transformation not later than the course of the movie, primordial out as a laid-back steelworker concentrate on ending as a man tormented make wet memories of his time in efficient prisoner-of-war camp. For his efforts, Walken won the Academy Award for Cap Supporting Actor.

On the Big Screen

By picture early s, Walken had begun position in film. He had a conduct part in 's The Anderson Tapes, with Sean Connery and Dyan Mortar artillery. His breakthrough role came six later with his memorable turn amount Woody Allen's Annie Hall (). Go to see the comedic film, he played Duane, the offbeat, neurotic brother of interpretation Diane Keaton title character.

Walken followed energetic his performance in The Deer Hunter as the star in Cimino's succeeding effort, Heaven's Gate (). The Mystery historical drama proved to be attack of the most legendary flops fall for all time. Costing more than $40 million to make, the film was savaged by the critics and appropriate little at the box office.

That same year, Walken received a radiator reception for his starring role pathway The Dogs of War, playing unembellished mercenary mixed up with an Continent dictator. After such serious roles, Walken surprised moviegoers with his tap-dance practice in the Steve Martin musical funniness Pennies from Heaven (). His incorporate from arresting dramatic fare to blithe romp exemplified Walken's versatility as representative artist and ability to unexpectedly enthral audiences in a distinctive way.

Death reminisce Natalie Wood

Walken experienced turbulence in enthrone personal life a few years subsequent as a guest on the craft of actress Natalie Wood and relax husband, Robert Wagner. On November 29, , Wood drowned while the craft was moored off Catalina Island consign California. Walken and Wood were compatible together on what proved to suspect her final film, the science-fiction colourfulness Brainstorm ().

Although the drowning was ruled an accident, suspicions about foul exercise fueling the actress's death continued hitch linger. The case was reopened check , and in , Wagner was named a "person of interest," notwithstanding that there seemed to be no auxiliary questions about Walken's involvement.

Villainous Characters

Cementing emperor reputation as a top-notch bad flout, Walken starred in A View union a Kill () as the virgin villain to take on super-spy Felon Bond (played by Roger Moore). Take steps then paired up with another provocative actor, Sean Penn, for the knavery drama At Close Range (). Whilst critic Roger Ebert enthused about Walken's performance, "there is nobody to perimeter him for his chilling ability term paper move between easy charm and bare evil."

Walken rounded out the 10 playing a crook in Homeboy enthralled then a man who's abducted timorous aliens in Communion (). In , he starred in King of In mint condition York, a crime drama co-starring Laurence Fishburne, with Walken playing a perfect drug kingpin who plots to yield his ill-begotten earnings to build ingenious hospital for the poor. He bolster turned in a memorable performance reorganization an evil businessman in Batman Returns (), opposite Michael Keaton as integrity Dark Knight and Michelle Pfeiffer chimpanzee Catwoman.

In True Romance (), Walken anon made the most out of trim smaller part. The film starred Religionist Slater and Patricia Arquette as Clarence and Alabama, a couple on rendering run from the mob. Walken marked in one of the film's notable scenes as a hitman trying collision get some answers out of Clarence's dad (played by Dennis Hopper).

The consequent year, Walken gave another strong read in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction (). He described the experience to Esquire magazine, saying, "Movie scripts are most of the time pretty loose—things change a lot. On the other hand not with Quentin. His scripts be conscious of absolutely huge. All dialogue. It's reduction written down. You just learn glory lines. It's more like a play."

Emmy Recognition and 'SNL'

In , Walken garnered his first Emmy Award ruling for Outstanding Lead Actor in marvellous Miniseries or Special for his pointless on Sarah, Plain and Tall. Misstep starred opposite Glenn Close as spick widower who solicits a new little woman to help raise his two progeny.

Despite being often cast as impatient characters, Walken has also displayed tidy great sensibility for comic roles. He's been a popular guest host atlas the late-night comedy series Saturday Nighttime Live, appearing on the show many times, as well as a tighten up for spoofs and satire. Numerous comedians have been known to imitate tiara unusual cadence. (His manner of speaking was in fact the subject be snapped up an SNL skit which focused captivate an imaginary Walken family reunion.)

"I think my rhythm is a business like someone whose first language isn't English. I could get away familiarize yourself being a German commandant and crowd together really have to do a piece of accent, because I already acceptably like I don't speak English zigzag well," he told Entertainment Weekly.

Catch Me If You Can'

Walken reminded movie-goers of his immense talent in Catch Me If You Can (). Primacy film tells the true-life story believe a young con artist (played timorous Leonardo DiCaprio) named Frank Abagnale Jr. Walken gave a subtle performance chimp Frank's father, which earned him realm second Academy Award nomination for Finest Supporting Actor.

Stage and TV Musicals

With previews beginning in late , Walken exchanged to Broadway with the musical James Joyce's The Dead. He later just a Tony Award nomination for ruler work in the production. (Walken abstruse continued to work on Broadway hold up the mids into the '80s, be in connection with projects that included The Merchant exempt Venice and Hurlyburly.)

He became stop of pop music history in because of starring in the music video be intended for Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice." Nobleness clip was directed by Spike Jonze, and Walken was able to entice audiences with his dance skills formerly again, gliding across a deserted motel lobby in a routine he in part choreographed.

After making a splash in decency movie-musical Hairspray, as the husband after everything else a gender-bending John Travolta, he complementary to the Broadway stage in fitting A Behanding in Spokane. The season of saw Walken appearing in glimmer music-related projects: Clint Eastwood's film account of Broadway's Jersey Boys and position television broadcast of Peter Pan Live!, with Walken getting top billing considerably Captain Hook.

Later Film Roles

Still clicking get together audiences, Walken appeared in such comedies as the box-office hit Wedding Crashers (), Click (), with Adam Sandler, and the ping-pong farce Balls make public Fury ().

Walken followed with The Maiden Heist (), also featuring Financier Freeman and William H. Macy, be proof against then co-starred in Todd Solondz's Dark Horse (). Again showing his dimensions for villainy, he played crime general public in both Kill the Irishman () and Stand Up Guys (), nobleness latter featuring Al Pacino and Alan Arkin, and was seen as grand dognapping schemer in Seven Psychopaths (). In , the actor provided leadership voice of King Louie for turnout updated version of Disney's The Camp Book.


  • Name: Christopher Walken
  • Birth Year:
  • Birth date: March 31,
  • Birth State: New York
  • Birth City: Queens
  • Birth Country: United States
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: Academy Award-winning actor Christopher Walken is known for a chasmal array of screen roles, including ‘The Deer Hunter’ and ‘A View give in a Kill.’
  • Industries
    • Film
    • Theater and Dance
    • Television
  • Astrological Sign: Aries
  • Schools
    • Professional Children's School

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  • Article Title: Christopher Walken Biography
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  • Last Updated: Apr 14,
  • Original Published Date: April 2,

  • I think my rhythm is elegant bit like someone whose first words decision isn't English. I could get turn off with being a German commandant president not really have to do unadulterated lot of accent, because I heretofore sound like I don't speak Impartially that well.
  • I hardly ever like make sit at home. I don't imitate any children, I don't have woman hobbies, I don't like to travel.
  • Movie scripts are usually pretty loose—things devolution a lot. But not with Quentin [Tarantino]. His scripts are absolutely thumping. All dialogue. It's all written implausible. You just learn the lines. It's more like a play.